SMEWG Resources

Australia

A workshop would be run on 25-26 November in Manila, the Philippines, aiming to enhance women-led SMEs capacity to internationalize and identify export opportunities. The workshop would identify impediments women-led SMEs face in accessing export markets and key elements of successful export development programs for women, and assist member economies enhance or develop export programs to assist women-led SMEs.

Building on the outcomes of an SMEWG endorsed (and PPWE supported) multilateral workshop conducted in Manila (November 2014) and follow-up in-country visits to Chile, Indonesia, the Philippines, PNG and Vietnam (March-May 2015), this capacity building program aims to provide technical training to five economies' trade promotion agency officials, who are responsible for fostering greater export of goods and services. The program commences with a roundtable aiming to help officials identify barriers in their organisations to women accessing their services as well as considering specific actions and training to better support the needs of women-led/owned/managed SMEs. The roundtable will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 9-10 June 2016. A key roundtable outcome will be designing core objectives for follow-up tailor made bilateral workshops based on actual development needs of each economy. The bilateral workshops are planned for at least Peru (August 2016), Vietnam (December 2017) and PNG (by mid-2017). This work also furthers PPWE priorities.

Brunei Darussalam

DARe - Darussalam Enterprise

Dare a focal agency to nurture and support SME development in Brunei. This is part of Brunei Government’s new initiatives to provide an effective and attractive ecosystem to spur and stimulate positive growth of Brunei SMEs.

DARe - Darussalam Enterprise

Dare a focal agency to nurture and support SME development in Brunei. This is part of Brunei Government’s new initiatives to provide an effective and attractive ecosystem to spur and stimulate positive growth of Brunei SMEs.

The green economy cannot be fully achieved without the participation MSMEs. Greening MSMES will enhance MSMEs' competitiveness and improve their market access, while also reducing carbon emissions. However, most MSMEs in the region are not aware of this issue as many of them still believe that green innovation and technology incurs higher costs and requires inaccessible technical expertise.

Canada

APEC-Canada Growing Business Partnership

Initiative funded by Canada that intended to foster economic growth and reduce poverty in APEC developing economies by building the potential of MSMEs and aspiring entrepreneurs. The initiative has 2 components: C$2M APEC MSME Sub-Fund and C$2.49M for research and training project under the coordination of Asia Pacific Foundation. Asia Pacific Foundation collaborates with APEC in the following areas: (i) Sharing best practices, (ii) Finding common points on project collaboration, (iii) Highlighting new ideas to explore and expand, (iv) Identifying common interests and build on them, (vi) Extending and complimenting other projects with common goals.

Build in Canada Innovation Program

The Build in Canada Innovation Program was made permanent in 2012 with four objectives: Help bridge the “Pre‐Commercial Gap”; Enable real‐world feedback and evaluations; Provide a ‘reference sale’ for Canadian businesses; and Improve Government operations. Through a competitive process, the government buys innovative pre‐commercial goods and services and tests them in government departments. The BCIP is administered by the nation‐wide network of Offices of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME).

Strengthening Indigenous and Rural Women’s Participation in the Value Chain

Canada provided an update on the project “Supply movement framework and tools: Phase IV monitoring” which focused on strengthening aboriginal and rural women’s participation in trading networks. Completion of phase four of this project was expected by Oct 2010.

People's Republic of China

7th APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Technology Conference and Fair

The 7th APEC SME Technology Conference and Fair was held in June, 2012, in Chengdu City, China with an aim to promote technological exchange among APEC SMEs, enhance trade and investment cooperation among APEC economies and boost overall development of APEC SMEs.

8th APEC SMEs Technology Conference and Fair

The 8th APEC SMETC was to be held from June 19 to 22, 2014 in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, China, focusing on electronics & high-end equipment, and producer services under the theme “Technology Innovation Boosts

8th SME Technology Conference and Fair (China)

The 8th APEC SMETC was held on 19 - 22 June 2014 in Zhejiang Province, China, which focused on electronics, high-end equipment, and producer services under the theme "transformation and upgrading boosted by technical innovation". It worked to strengthen the communication between economy and trade, information and technology, and to help APEC SMEs explore international markets and improve their own competition

APEC Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Forum and Business Matching: SMEs Clouds + Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Cloud computing eliminates the barriers on one-time equipment purchasing as well as the cost on IT maintenance and personnel control for startups. It also enables internet companies stop worrying about the IT support and the operation requirement of user peak value within cross-border business. In addition, the Cloud computing allows manufacturing, retailing and service companies no longer anxious about the stability, safety and sustainability of working systems.

APEC SME Cross-Border E-Commerce (CBE) Leaders' Conference

The ministers issued the Nanjing Declaration on SME Innovative Development during the 21st APEC SME Ministerial Meeting, which focused on strengthening the innovation capacity and sustainability of SMEs while eliminating barriers to their participation in cross-border trade. As economies intend to grow their CBE share, working together in a disruptive collaborative model and 'educate' the market is one of the best approaches. The conference organizer offers a platform where participants from APEC member economies and other parts of the world can share research and best practices to assist manufacturers and merchants in boosting import and export trade. The conference also concentrates on promoting the application of modern information technology within SMEs and improving the informational application on R&D, production and distribution, and business administration.

APEC SMEs Business Forum (China)

The forum was held on 2 September in Nanjing, China, focused on sharing experience and exchanging ideas on innovative capabilities and sustainable development of SMEs.

With "Innovation and Sustainability" as its theme, the Forum focused on hot topics concerning the SME sector, including global production chains and supply chains, the cooperative relationship between public and private sectors, and financing and SME incubators/accelerators.

China’s Practice in Promoting High-Growth SMEs’ Development

China shared its best practice in promoting high-growth SMEs’ development through furthering IT application in SMEs, enhancing services for SMEs’ technology innovation, and facilitating SMEs’ development towards professionalism, leanness, feature and Innovation.

Encouraging Entrepreneurship and Innovation in China

China shared its practice on encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation by using the Zhongguancun Entrepreneurship Street as an example. Four types of organizations that an early start‐up might find themselves engaged in: start‐up cafes, co‐ working spaces, accelerators and membership‐based entrepreneurship clubs. The tech‐hub opens its door to all entrepreneurs from the APEC member economies.

Enhancing Business Development Services (BDS) to Cultivate an Enabling Environment for SMEs

It offered a brief introduction of the evolvement of the service system for SMEs in Jiangsu, China, by focusing on three aspects: (i) formation of a supportive service system for SMEs in Jiangsu; (ii) recent developments of the service system for SMEs in Jiangsu; (iii) future perspective.

Enhancing ICT Exchanges: APEC SME Center for IT Promotion

In accordance with the “Nanjing Declaration on Promoting SME Innovative Development”, China would explore the possibility of setting up the “APEC SME Center for IT Promotion”. This center would connect SMEs of APEC economies and supporting organizations as a platform to share policies, experience,

and the best practices of IT adoption and provide consultation on IT solutions.

Global SME Cross-Border Matchmaking Service Mode

China introduced the Global SME Cross-border Matchmaking Service which was provided by the Bank of China. The purposes are to improve connection and communication for SMEs. Six steps concerning this service was introduced. Until now, in order to match make, workshops have been organized with 30,000 participants from 56 economies over 5 continents. In the future, China plans to strengthen ties with other economies to jointly stage matchmaking activities.

Global SME Cross-Border Matchmaking Service Mode

China introduced the Global SME Cross-border Matchmaking Service which was provided by the Bank of China. The purposes are to improve connection and communication for SMEs. Six steps concerning this service was introduced. Until now, in order to match make, workshops have been organized with 30,000 participants from 56 economies over 5 continents. In the future, China plans to strengthen ties with other economies to jointly stage matchmaking activities.

The Database of APEC Best Practices in SME Innovation was first announced during the 8th APEC SME Technology Conference and Fair (APEC SMETC) in Yiwu, China. It aims to provide all‐dimensional, multi‐field matchmaking services for APEC SMEs. Relevant updates of the Database will be announced at regular intervals.

Nanjing, the host city of the 21st APEC SME Ministerial Meeting, has been leading various efforts to empower SMEs innovative and sustainable growth. One of their main strategies was to set up Nanjing SME IT Adoption Service Center. Through the evolvement of the organization and its activities in the last several years, they have accumulated successful experiences on how to promote the use of ICT among SMEs and on how to improve the level of ICT adoption in manufacture-on-demand, e-commerce application, logistics and supply chain collaboration, business management and others.

Loan Specialized in Supporting SMEs in APEC Economies

The China Development Bank aimed to set up a special loan to support SMEs in the APEC region. The tentative amount of this special loan would be 1 or 2 billion USD, including 70% USD amount and 30% RMB amount, focusing on providing financial support to SMEs in APEC economies to do business in China as well as helping Chinese SMEs to do business in APEC economies.

Multi-Dimensional Services to SMEs

Promoting IT Adoption in MSMEs - Setting Up APEC SME Center for IT Promotion

Digital economy plays an important role in enhancing MSME access to the global market and driving innovation. However, it remains challenging for MSMEs to embrace the digital economy. In 1996, the Information Technology Agreement was endorsed by the APEC leaders which were later adopted by World Trade Organization. In 2014, APEC leaders endorsed the APEC initiative of Cooperation to Promote the Internet Economy to further promote cooperation in the digital economy and proposed actions plan to bridge the digital gap. Also in 2014, "Welcome China to explore the possibility of setting up an "APEC SME Center for IT Promotion" was endorsed during the 21st APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting.

Seminar on Financing Innovation of SMEs

SMEs still faced many difficulties, such as financing access, the high cost of financing, and excessively narrow financing channels. “The Seminar of Financing Innovation of SMEs” shared current financing trends and best practices for financing innovation with SMEs, which would be useful for the development of SME financing innovation in APEC developing economies.

Stimulating SME Innovative Capabilities through Legend Star

Legend Star, China, aims to solve relevant issues on talent, capital and resources faced by SMEs through its pyramid training system of entrepreneurship CEO special training class, regional short‐term training courses, entrepreneurship lecture hall, along with trinity technology entrepreneurship incubation model of enterprise training, Angel Investment, open platform, which has gained a number of achievements on SME entrepreneur training both at home and abroad.

The 7th APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Technology Conference and Fair

China informed of the 7th APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Technology Conference (SMETC) which was to be held in June 2012 in Chengdu City, China, under the theme “Technology Boosts Economy; Cooperation Creates Future”.

The APEC SME Technology Conference and Fair

The event, which is held every two years, is designed to strengthen economic, trade and technological cooperation and information exchange for SMEs in APEC economies and help SMEs improve their international competitiveness. The 7th SMETC was held in Chengdu City in June 2012.